The great Cairo

The city of Cairo, (also known as Al-Qahira which means the Victorious, or Misr, the Arabic name for Egypt) is the capital of Egypt. Officially, the city has 17.5 million inhabitants, but in reality there live nearly 25 million people, making it the largest city in Africa and the Middle East. Located in northern Egypt, the city was built on the shores and islands of the Nile. It is the symbol of separation into two branches of the Nile between which takes refuge Nile Delta.

During the time of the pharaohs, it was called Memphis. The arrival of the Christians in Egypt made ​​change the site name in Babylon to the seventh century. Muslim capture of the town changed again the name of the city which turned into Fustat (now this place is Old Cairo). During this period, the city is thriving. Agricultural land adjacent to the Nile and the city allow a rich and abundant culture.

The city of Cairo was born in the Middle Ages, 969 She then founded by the Shia Fatimid family, who claim to be descendants of Fatima, daughter of Prophet Muhammad. The city was the capital of their caliphate. In 1173, Fustat (or Cairo) and Al-Qahira met in the same city with the construction of the Citadel. We can also still be seen in the city of Al-Ahzhar Mosque, witnessed this time of cultural and religious influence. Despite coming to power many cruel sultans, the city prospered to such an extent that it was dubbed the mother of the world due to its growing population, which began to stray from the speaker. When Khedive Ismail (viceroy of Egypt) came to power in the year 1863, the city turned into a real small replica of European city.

Today, Cairo continues its phenomenal growth, ranking it the rank of city with the highest density in the world. This is unfortunately not without serious consequences. Continuing construction of new buildings or nibbles on the desert or on the fertile lands of the Nile, the only arable land of Egypt.

Although the city has many historical and cultural monuments of unparallelled as his famous Egyptian Museum and its Department of Antiquities, founded in 1835 with a collection of extraordinary pharaonic objects, the fact remains that at Cairo, poverty and inequality are everywhere. Access to culture remains a privilege of the upper classes or tourists. Witnesses to the poverty of the city, Egyptian buildings. A law tax-exempt houses under construction. It is thus common to cross the street corner unfinished houses that further enhance the dirty and destitute of the city appearance. Despite this, there modernity gradually takes its particular place with the subway. Although still limited to one line has the advantage of being clean and efficient and to avoid congestion of the city and its patched and rather dangerous taxis (permits do not require examination but can be purchased ).

The Cairenes meanwhile leave nothing begin their reputation for high sociability. With a few dollars, you can get all the information you want. As the location of some monuments, etc. For the modern Cairo was built around old times over 4500 years historical monuments. Medieval neighborhoods adjacent to the Pharaonic constructions. Each with its own story. In the center of the city, the Abdeen Palace and unn little further north, a meeting with the Colossus of Ramses II is required (replica of Giza). Midan Ataba, the meeting point between modern Cairo and the old medieval city, is also seen. Old Cairo has many mosques and churches and Coptic Cairo, which is ancient Babylon reveals its Roman character. In short, as saying that the cultural tours abound in Cairo. For a bit of relaxation many small shops offer smoking shisha (flavored tobacco). And to live a full immersion in the Cairo life, nothing better than a trip to the souk in the city, the enchantment of color and life.